An Albuquerque man recently registered his dog to vote, and now the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office is investigating.

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Two weeks ago, Thomas Tolbert said he registered his dog Buddy on a whim. The retired Army veteran said he jotted down a fake Social Security number on the registration card, sent it in and got a voter registration card for his dog.

"When I opened (the mail,) there it was, it was a voter registration card for my dog," Tolbert said. "I did it to show that the system is broke."

Bernalillo County Clerk Maggie Toulouse Oliver said what Tolbert did is considered voter fraud, and that's a fourth-degree felony. The case has been forwarded to the sheriff's office.

"By trying to prove a point he has certainly put his own right to vote under threat," she said.

Tolbert said he used his dog as an example to prove his point, and now he said he's ready to suffer the consequences.

"I have no ill feelings for the sheriff's. They'd only be doing their job if they came over and arrested me," Tolbert said.

A local watchdog group claims that Tolbert's stunt was politically motivated because his wife works for Republican Heather Wilson's Senate campaign. Tolbert denies that.

"I do this for me. I don't do it for anyone else," he said. "(My wife) was furious with me and I don't blame her."

Tolbert said he hopes what he did will help tighten the voting system.

The county clerk said this is the second time this has happened during her five years in office. She said the last time, that person pleaded no contest and received two years of probation.